Opposites Attract

“I just don’t have the time!” The lament of so many busy people. Yet, what are we spending our time on? The average American spends 4-6 hours per day in front of the television; not to mention, computers, games and phones. Ok, I do like my techno gadgets, but I love good, wholesome food more.

Cooking has become a spectator sport. We love to watch, but don’t participate. But I’m here to tell you, cooking can be fun, entertaining and therapeutic. Get everyone into the act. I call my family and friends who want to help in the kitchen: “my sous.” We laugh, we joke and above all we eat well. We manage to find time for the things that are important to us. There are so many meals that simply don’t take a lot of time. Soups, stews, salads can all be eaten for multiple days, or frozen for future use. In the time it takes to have a pizza delivered you can have a healthy meal on the table.

In the winter there is sometimes an absence of the type of salads that I enjoyed during the growing season. I found that if you eat seasonally and try putting some unexpected ingredients together, you are often pleasantly surprised. In my last post, I used roasted pears as a garnish on my butternut squash soup. A few days later, I tried the same pairing in a different way in a salad and the results were yumbo-yummy! Although the dressing is not strictly Paleo, I took creative license for the flavor I was looking for; see what you think…

Roasted Winter Salad with Lime/Balsamic Vinaigrette:

4 cups butternut squash, cubed in 3/4 inch dice

3 Bosch pears, cored, seeded and sliced in 6ths

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 cups fresh kale, torn in bite-sized pieces

2 cups fresh spinach, torn in bite-sized pieces

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1/4 cup dried tart cherries, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup fresh local feta, crumbled

1 recipe Lime/Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 450 F. Position rack in center of oven. In a large bowl, combine squash and pear slices with olive oil. Toss well and transfer in a single layer to a jelly-roll pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a little Kosher salt. Roast, flipping with a spatula halfway through and rotating the pan until they are soft and caramelized; approximately 20-25 minutes. Set aside.

Toss the greens with 2 Tbsp of the warm vinaigrette, salt and place on a platter or individual plates. Scatter the squash cubes and pear slices on top, then sprinkle with almonds, tart cherries and feta. Pass extra dressing.

Lime/Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup grapeseed oil (non-Paleo)

1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots

1 tsp chopped fresh ginger

2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. finely grated lime zest

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and a little salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, whisk the vinegar, maple syrup, lime juice and zest, mustard, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Whisk the warm oil into the vinegar mixture until emulsified. Season to taste with more juice, salt or pepper.